Tough Love
by Cerenbus.Snape.Malfoy
Summary: Near is the unsuspecting victim of an unforeseen, uncalled for attack. He is attacked by none other than the one he trusts the most. L. Mystery suspense drama pain fear abuse Nate Rivers L Lawliet


"L. What brings you here?" Near looked up from his toys at the sound of his door being opened and quickly shut.

"Good evening, Near." L murmured, glancing around Near's small room.

Near tipped his head curiously, watching as L seemed to study the room for a moment, his hands in his pockets.

"Is there something I can do for you...?" Near questioned, hiding the surprise from his voice. L rarely paid him any visits after bed time. If he did it was only to tell him to go to bed.

L moved towards him without a word, grabbing his arm and pulling him to his feet.

Near stared up at L in confusion as the young man took his hand and pulled him towards the bathroom, veering away from it and stopping just in front of Near's bed.

"Put your arms out, Near." L instructed in his usual monotone voice.

Near obeyed instinctively, trusting L whole-heartedly, his arms sticking straight-out on either side of his body.

L took Near's arms and pulled them together in front of him, holding them both secure with one hand, his other hand fishing in in his pocket. A long coil of rope was pulled from L's pocket free of loops or knots. L wrapped the wiry, sand-colored rope around Near's wrists, rather tightly.

Near winced, feeling his veins throb under the tight rope. "What is this for, L?" He asked, watching as L tightened the double-knot.

"Shh. Stay put." L told him, putting a hand on the boy's shoulder and backing him up against the side of the bed. L glanced nervously towards the door. There was a sort of urgency in L's voice that hadn't been there previously, and it was starting to make Near nervous.

L stooped down so that his eyes were level with Near's, putting both hands on the boy's shoulders. "Do you trust me?" He asked solemnly, eyes wide and penetrating.

"What do you mean-" Near began.

L took hold of Near's arms, shaking the boy slightly. "Near! This is very important and we don't have much time. Look me in the eyes. _Do you trust me?" _His hands moved to cup Near's cheeks, their noses inches apart, L's warm, sweet breath puffing in Near's face.

Near obeyed, looking L dead in the eyes and seeing a strange sort of desperation in the young man's black pits of emotion. Near's heart had begun beating rapidly. L's behavior and closeness was terrifying him to say the least. "Yes, L. I trust you."

The moment the words had left his mouth, Near felt a hard, heavy blow against the side of his face, knocking him down, he bounced off the side of the bed and hit the floor with a thud. He saw stars, and it was several moments before his vision cleared. The side of his head smarted, confusion and betrayal swarming into his eyes in the form of tears. He quickly wiped them away, sitting up and glaring angrily up at L.

"What the hell is wrong with you?!" The normally calm boy's voice had raised, and now he was straining against his tightly bound wrists, wishing he hadn't been so trusting.

L swiftly took hold of the back of Near's neck, pulling him to his feet. He glanced at the door again before taking Near into his arms in a bone-crushing squeeze, making the boy let out a muffled yelp of pain, his face crushed against L's chest, his ribs being compacted to the point he thought they may shatter. His lungs were squeezed so hard he couldn't breathe, and he was fighting down mad panic as the stars revisited his vision.

Just as he thought he may pass out, L released him and stepped aside, letting him fall gracelessly to the hard floor, just barely catching himself and bruising the heels of his hands in the process. He wheezed, drawing in one pained breath after another, his ribs and lungs aching. What the hell was L doing?

L grabbed the back of Near's shirt and yanked with all his might, dragging the boy back. There was a loud ripping sound which was Near's shirt being torn from his body, showing off the new bruises L had given him, dark and painful against Near's white skin.

Before L could grab him again, Near stumbled to his feet and made a mad dash for the door, only to get slammed in the face when the door suddenly swung open. He reeled back, stumbling and falling backwards, unable to catch himself this time as his hands were tied in front if him. He let out a small moan, raising his throbbing head to stare at the figure who had opened the door that had ultimately stopped him from escape. It was a teenage boy he had never seen before. He hadn't the slightest idea who this boy was.

Near glanced back, trying to see what L was currently doing, startled, however, to find that he was gone. The teenage boy moved forward slowly, stopping just beside Near's head, staring down at him blankly.

"It seems..." he murmured thoughtfully. "That someone took the liberty of dealing with you for me."

Near looked up at the boy in shock, frightened by the cruelty in his voice.

The teen crouched down, taking Near's chin and forcing his head up off the floor, making Near flinch and strain to relieve some of the pressure on his jaw. "I was just making my way down here to beat the living hell out of you, Near. Looks like someone beat me to it. I'll just have to come back for you another time."

Near flinched again, realizing what L had done. He had hurt him, yes, but probably no where near as much as this young man would have had he found him in the same healthy state L had. Near wondered why L hadn't simply fought the boy instead of beating the hell out of him, but L worked in strange ways.

"I'll see you later, Near." The teen smirked at him, cruelly poking one of the horrid purple bruises on Near's ribs, standing and slipping silently away.

Near winced, staring after him for a long moment before slowly sitting up, on his knees. He sighed, sitting back on his legs and staring down at his hands, which were now purple from how tightly they were bound. He glared at the bruises up and down his thin frame, his ribs showing through his skin. His eyes traveled slowly over to his discarded shirt laying in a shredded heap next to the bed.

He raised his hands to his mouth, his teeth yanking on the ropes and eventually loosing them. His mind was a chaotic mess. He tried piecing together what had just happened. If L really had done that to save him, he certainly could have handled the situation with more leeway for Near. As it were, he had just let the poor boy think he was just being a cruel bastard that he had been wrong to trust in the first place.

Near didn't particularly agree with L's teaching method, but it was certainly effective. The loud voice in his head now screamed 'trust no one, trust no one!' Even those who would never harm him without good reason.

"L, where did you go? Tell me the meaning of this!" Near demanded, rising to his feet, his eyes scanning the empty room. Had he turned around, he would have seen the raven-haired young man steal silently out the door, leaving with no explanation and no apology.

Near went to bed that night very much in pain, and more confused and hurt than he'd ever been.

**AN: I promise L's motives will be revealed later on! In the meantime, please review with your thoughts and ideas, they are, as always, much appreciated.**

**Happy reading!**


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